Puzzle



UNITED STATES- PATENT, OFFICE.

EDWIN L. TI-IURSTON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO LEONARD WATSON, .OF DENVER, COLORADO.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,689, dated January 31, 1893.

Application filed September 30,1890. Serial No. 366,617. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. THURsToN, a citizen of the United States, residing atOleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of my invention in its best and most complete form; and Fig. 2 is a plan viewof a modified form of said invention.

My invention relates to the class of puzzles which consist of a number of tablets bearing on their surfaces certain marks,configurations or symbols, which are designed to match with, or bear a prescribed relation to the marks, configurations or symbols on adjacent tablets, when said tablets are properly arranged in contact.

My invention consists essentially of a puzzle composed of eight tablets, having, sepa-' rately and collectively, the characteristics hereinafter described and definitely distinguished in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, the tablets are seen to be in the form of parallelograms, and it is better if they are rectangular, and best if they are square, as shown.

The puzzle consists essentially of eight tablets, whioh when properly placed in contact, as hereinafter described, form a large figure similar in shape to the tablets of which it'is composed, but with a vacant central space. The ninth tablet, marked A, and designed to fill the vacant middle space, may or may not be employed according to the fancy, and the manner in which the puzzle is to be used. The surface of each tablet, at and near its edge, is divided into four sections. The sections on the tablets which compose the puzzle shown in Fig. 1, are formed in the corners; the lines of division extending from the middle of each side to the middle of the opposite side. In the form shown in Fig. 2, the lines of division between the sections extend diagonally from corner to corner, and the sections thus formed are triangular. Each section contains a symbol, and the same symbol does not appear twice on any single one of the eight tablets which we are considering, and which are essential parts of the puzzle. I have used numerals to designate any symbols which one may wish to use. I prefer to use colors as the symbols, for these principal reasons, viz: The eye can more readily pick out any desired tablet the colors give no information as to which is the top or bottom or sides-0f any tablet; and a much prettier puz-- sections of adjacent tablets touch which contain the same symbol.

The tablet marked A in the drawings may or may not be used with the others. The tablet A in Fig. 1, bears only two of the four symbols, and when used it serves as an aid to the proper arrangement of the other tablets; that is, it serves as a center around which the other tablets may be laid. When tablet A is used with the puzzle shown in Fig. 2 it tends to make the solution thereof more diflicnlt.

In the drawings the puzzles are shown in a box B. Each of the eight necessary tablets, bears some uniform position, as for example the black dot O in the upper left hand corner, whereby the eight tablets may be arranged in the box, right side up, so to speak, but in any chance order. WVhen so placed they may be moved out after the manner of the old .13, 14, 15 puzzle, until they are in their proper position. If preferred thisdistinguishing mark 0 may be on the under side of the tablets, in which case the puzzle is adapted to be used with the box, or without it, and be equally well fitted for each use Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

1. A puzzle composed of eight square tablets, each'of which is divided into four substantially equal sections, combined with four symbols disposed upon the several tablets in the following manner, to wit; each section contains a symbol and the same symbol does not appear twice on the same tablet the arrangement of symbols being different on every tablet,said tablets being adapted to be placed in contact and form a square outline figure, when only those sections on contiguous tablets are in contact which contain the same symbol.

2. A puzzle composed of eight tablets, each in the form of a parallelogram and divided into four sections, combined with four symbols which are disposed in the sections on said tablets in the following manner, to wit, each tablet bears the four symbols, one in each section thereof,the arrangement of said symbols being different on every tablet, said tablets being adapted to be placed in contact and form an outline figure, similar in form to the tablets composing it, when only those sections of contiguous tablets are in contact which contain the same symbol.

3. A puzzle composed of eight tablets in the form of parallelograms, which are each divided into four sections, each section containing a symbol,said symbols being arranged upon the tablets in the following manner, to

wit, the same symbol does not appear twice on the same tablets the arrangement of symbols being difierent on every tablet, and all the tablets are adapted to be placed in contact forming an outline figure, similar in shape to the separate tablets, with only those sections on adjacent tablets in contact which contain the same symbols, each tablet bearing a distinguishing mark in some uniform position, combined with a box adapted to hold said tablets when arranged as above specified.

4:. A puzzle composed of eight tablets, each in the form of a parallelogram and divided into four sections, each section on the separate tablets being colored one of the four colors selected, the same color not appearing twice on any single tablet, the arrangement of colors being dilferent on every tabletsaid tablets being adapted to be arranged in con-- tact when only those sections of adjacent tablets touch which are similarly colored.

EDWIN L. THURSTON.

Witnesses:

ALBERT I-I. BATES, FRANK. MILLER. 

